SW looks at some special Buddha statues
By Itsarin Tisantia, photos by Pichaya Svasti, courtesy of Bangkok Post and Reuters
Thailand has around 40,000 Buddhist temples and countless Buddha statues nationwide. Some of the most beautiful statues are the ones where Buddha wears a crown.
For this week’s Freeze Frame, SW takes a look at well-known crowned Buddha statues in Bangkok and neighboring provinces.
Above: Standing alongside the Emerald Buddha in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok are crowned Buddha statues Phra Buddha Yodfah Chulalok and Phra Buddha Loetla Nabhalai.
Above: Built in 1503, Nah Phra Mane Rachikaram Temple in Ayutthaya houses Phra Buddha Pichitmarnmolee Srisanphet Boromtrailokkanart.
Above: Built by the request of King Rama III according to the wishes of his mother, this crowned Buddha can be seen at Nang Nong Worawihan Temple in Bangkok.
Above: Enshrined at the Temple of Dawn in Bangkok, Phra Buddha Naruemitr was completed in 1883.
Above: Chaeng Ron Temple in Bangkok houses a centuries-old crowned Buddha statue called Luang Phor Hin Daeng. The statue is in the seated meditation posture.
Above: Situated at Klang Temple in Samut Prakan, Luang Pu Mon was built in the Lopburi style, which reflects the influence of Khmer art in the past.
Exercises
Read Freeze Frame and decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Klang Temple is located in Ayutthaya. ………………….
2. Phra Buddha Naruemitr was completed in 1983. ………………….
3. The crowned Buddha at Nang Nong Worawihan Temple was built by the request of King Rama III. ………………….
4. Luang Phor Hin Daeng is in the seated meditation posture. ………………….
Answers
1. False.
2. False.
3. True.
4. True.
countless (adj): too many to be counted or mentioned
crown (n): an object in the shape of a circle, usually made of gold and precious stones, that a king or queen wears on his or her head
enshrine (v): to place a revered or precious object inside something
meditation (n): the practice of thinking deeply in silence, especially for religious reasons or in order to make your mind calm
